Vail Daily letter: Best of docs

Few of us can say that we had the opportunity to witness the excitement of the first chainsaws firing up to cut the runs for the new hopeful, world-class Beaver Creek Mountain, boarding the bus at the end of the day to receive a pin stating “I skied Beaver Creek the first day” only to throw it in our glovebox not having any idea we probably shouldn’t have left it in the Jeep when we traded it in.

Few of us can say that we knew what the impact would be on the future of the valley when a sign was noticed at the new strip mall across from the bowling alley simply stating “Doctors on Call.”

Although I have never had the honor to share the dinner table with Dr. Kovacevich, Jill or the wonderful staff of associates at Doctors on Call, they have been my comp provider and personal physicians since the beginning. I have left the valley on and off over the years and come back primarily because I need a doctor I can trust, and that is Dr. K.

It has been brought to my attention that you have the opportunity to share the table with Dr. K. and the staff at a 20th anniversary celebration today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Singletree Pavilion.

Although the days of reading the local newspaper while eating a $5 farmer’s special at Ruby’s while nursing an apres ski hangover have changed to reading it from a 17-inch laptop screen while eating a $2 bowl of grits, licking self-inflicted injuries in a cafe across the road from a pasture of Triple Crown hopefuls, 1,800 miles away. Dr. K and the staff are still my care providers. Please go and thank him for me and the countless others that benefit daily from his tireless efforts.

Compassion, integrity, true interest and care for your health and spiritual well being – that is Dr. Kovacevich and everyone associated with Doctors on Call. He is like the doctor that brought me into this world at the clinic in the Dakotas that used to make his rounds in his Buick to make sure all was well with his patients miles away on the farm, with the bedside manner of a wombat chiding me for being so hard on my mother for being a breech baby.